


i'm not too far (and you're my favourite place)

by kihyuks



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Steampunk, First Dates, Fluff, Getting to Know Each Other, M/M, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:46:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26288962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kihyuks/pseuds/kihyuks
Summary: changkyun never expects to see the governor, lee minhyuk, walk through the door of his little unknown repairs shop. he also doesn't expect minhyuk to keep coming back, nor for himself to fall in love with minhyuk, but they all end up happening anyway.
Relationships: Im Changkyun | I.M/Lee Minhyuk
Comments: 6
Kudos: 45
Collections: K-Pop Ficmix 2020





	i'm not too far (and you're my favourite place)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [writersstudy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/writersstudy/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Restricted Work] by [writersstudy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/writersstudy/pseuds/writersstudy). Log in to view. 



> to recipient: i hope i did your fic justice!!! i really loved the fic you wrote and the concept of it so i knew i had to give it a go myself!!

A bell jingles from the front of the shop and Changkyun looks up instantly. It’s been a quiet day - there’s been a lot of quiet days recently - and as it started to approach the end of the day, Changkyun began to think he’d have another day without a single customer. 

The sight that greets Changkyun is not what he expected to see. Standing in the entrance to his little store is the governor - Lee Minhyuk. 

“Oh, good afternoon, governor,” Changkyun greets, bowing his head. 

“Good afternoon,” Minhyuk says. “You do repairs, correct?”

“Well, it is in the name,” Changkyun answers, referring to the name of his shop, Im’s Repairs. Then, realising that his words could be interpreted as snarky and this is the governor standing in front of him, Changkyun’s eyes widen and he quickly adds, “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Minhyuk says, waving what  _ should  _ be a dismissive hand, except his hand is missing. He’s holding it in his other hand, Changkyun realises. 

“I assume you’re here to repair that?” Changkyun gestures to Minhyuk’s missing hand. 

"You're an observant one, aren't you?" Minhyuk says, an amused smirk on his face.

"Maybe I'm psychic," Changkyun comments as Minhyuk approaches the counter and places down his detached hand.

"I don't know. I think it's pretty obvious what the problem is, don't you?"

Changkyun looks at Minhyuk's hand, then at his face and says, "Not really."

Minhyuk starts laughing, and he has this deep, beautiful laugh that reminds Changkyun of the nostalgia listening to your favourite song from your childhood. "You're an interesting one..." He trails off and looks at Changkyun with a raised eyebrow.

Changkyun wonders for a moment what Minhyuk wants from him, then he realises. His name. "Im Changkyun." Changkyun sticks his hand out to shake it, only to realise that the hand he stuck out is the same hand that Minhyuk is currently missing. Embarrassed by his mistake, Changkyun retracts his hand and looks down at the aforementioned missing hand that's sitting on the countertop. "So, what's wrong with it?"

"I'm not sure, honestly," Minhyuk answers. "It started feeling all stiff and it's been harder to move than usual."

"Hm." Changkyun picks up the hand, inspects it, moving each of the joints to check how they're working. He feels Minhyuk's heavy stare on him as he does it, but he tries not to let it bother him. Instead, he picks up the can of oil he keeps handy on the counter and squirts some oil into each of the finger joints. He gives it a moment to settle, and then moves the fingers around again. As he expected, the joints move smoother than before. "Try this," Changkyun says, giving the hand back over to Minhyuk.

Minhyuk slips the mechanical arm over his stump, the leather strap resting over his shoulder. A few seconds later, the hand starts to move. Minhyuk wiggles his fingers, clenches his fist together and then releases it. Minhyuk looks up at him with a smile. "You, Changkyun, just saved me a whole lot of trouble."

Should a man really be allowed to have such a beautiful smile? Especially one as unobtainable as the  _ governor.  _ Changkyun looks away, as Minhyuk's smile is so bright it's as if he's looking directly into the sun, and the last thing Changkyun wants to do is burn his eyes. "It wasn't that hard," Changkyun says. "Just that your joints needed some more oil."

"Don't be modest," Minhyuk says. 

Changkyun feels a finger touch his chin, and his head is lifted so he's looking directly at Minhyuk again.

"You have skills. I can see that clearly."

Changkyun does his best to smile, but he's overwhelmed by the intensity that Minhyuk is looking at him with. The way he looks at Changkyun is like he's the only person in the room - which, well, he is, but he'd feel the same if he wasn't, it's that sort of look - and it overwhelms Changkyun, but in a good way.

"Well, governor," Changkyun starts, "I'm glad to be of service."

"How much is it?" Minhyuk asks.

"For you, it's free."

Minhyuk shakes his head at that. "I might be the governor, but I don't require freebies, you know."

"I know, but it was a simple fix. I'd do this for free for any of my customers, I swear." It's not entirely true. It'd actually depend on how much Changkyun likes said customer, and he finds that he's liking Minhyuk a lot.

Minhyuk searches his face for any sort of a lie, but he clearly can't find one as he relents. "Okay, fine. Just this once, though."

"You planning to come back, then?" Changkyun dares to ask. He wonders if he should really be being so informal with the governor, and for a moment he begins to regret his words, but then Minhyuk smiles at him again and he knows that everything is just fine.

"Of course."

And the way Minhyuk says it, it sounds like a promise.

* * *

Ever since Minhyuk's visit a few days prior, Changkyun finds that he can't stop thinking about him. He doesn't know what it is about the governor that has Changkyun so enamoured and curious, but every single time the bell chimes to signal that a customer has entered and Changkyun looks up only to see someone who is most definitely not Minhyuk, he finds himself incredibly disappointed.

It should be a good thing, really, that the governor hasn't returned. It means that he hasn't messed up any of his limbs, which can only be a positive, yet Changkyun still finds himself watching the door in every free moment, hoping to see the governor walk through.

Currently, Changkyun's fixing a customer's leg. It's not a complicated fix - some of the screws have come loose and need to be retightened to make sure that it stays together - but he finds it hard to focus on fixing the leg, which he needs to do if he wants to get paid. Instead, his thoughts continue to wander back to Minhyuk and whether his visit the other day will be the first and last time they ever come across each other.

The bell chimes and Changkyun hurries out of his workshop and into the front room to see if Minhyuk is finally back, but his face falls when Jooheon's the one standing there.

"Wow, that unhappy to see me, huh?" Jooheon asks, approaching Changkyun and nudging him. "Didn't miss your best friend in the whole wide world?"

"Of course I did," Changkyun says. He leads Jooheon through to his workshop out back so that he can continue to work on his current job while he catches up with his friend. "I was just— Forget it."

"Now I can't forget it," Jooheon says, eyebrow raised. "Who were you waiting for?"

"No one," Changkyun says much too quickly, and he knows that he's given it away.

Jooheon stares at him until Changkyun finally gives in.

"Fine, okay. A new customer came in the other day and he was kinda cute and he promised to be back. That's all, okay?" Changkyun purposefully leaves out the part where said customer is actually Lee Minhyuk, the governor, because he's not sure he wants Jooheon to know his true opinion of the governor. Most people's opinions aren't the greatest - they think Minhyuk is ruining their city - and Changkyun isn't really sure where Jooheon stands in terms of his opinion. It's not something they typically talk about. So, to stay on the safe side, Changkyun decides to keep that fact to himself. For now, at least.

"Has Changkyunnie got a crush?" Jooheon teases.

Changkyun smacks Jooheon, but he ends up hitting his metal arm, so Jooheon won't feel a thing. "You suck. Shut up."

"Come on," Jooheon insists. "I want to know everything."

Changkyun holds up his blowtorch threateningly. "Don't ask questions."

Jooheon holds up his hands in surrender and backs away. "Okay, okay. No teasing."

Changkyun grins and puts the blowtorch down. It's a broken blowtorch, one that he's been meaning to get fixed for weeks now, but Jooheon doesn't need to know that.

"So, how have things been? Are you getting enough customers?" Jooheon asks. Changkyun had mentioned to him before about the lack of customers recently, and a lack of customers means a lack of money in Changkyun's pocket.

"It's been so-so."

"Listen, I'll keep spreading the word around more about your shop. Hopefully you'll start seeing some more people around here soon."

Changkyun smiles. "Thanks, Jooheon."

Jooheon pats his hand affectionately. "Anyway, I have to dash. I just thought I'd come and quickly have a catch up with you, but I have to get to the factory soon."

“You’re going already?”

“Sorry,” Jooheon says. “I’ll see you at the weekend though, right?”

“Yeah, of course.”

Then, just like that, Jooheon is gone and Changkyun is alone once again. 

He finds that nowadays he always seems to be alone. Not just alone - lonely. It’s not really anyone else’s fault, of course. Changkyun spends most of his time here, in his shop, working on customer’s requests or on his personal projects when he has none of those, waiting for more customers to show up. 

Maybe that’s why he’d become so enamoured with the governor so quickly. He was someone new, someone different, and he’d shown an actual interest in Changkyun outside of his job. Most customers are in and out as quickly as possible, only wanting to provide his service and that’s all. He can’t really blame them, he’s the same whenever he has to go anywhere - in and out just like that, no dawdling - but sometimes Changkyun finds himself wanting more of an interaction. 

The governor - no, Minhyuk - provided that interaction that he so desperately craves, and now that Changkyun’s been given a taste, he craves it so much more. 

* * *

Almost two weeks pass before Minhyuk shows up again. 

Changkyun had started to believe that the governor coming to  _ his  _ little repairs shop was just a one time thing, and as soon as the thought had started to settle into his mind, Minhyuk returned as if he somehow knew that Changkyun was losing his faith in him. 

When the bell chimes, Changkyun doesn’t even bother to look up from the hand he’s working on. One of the tiniest screws has come loose from the thumb joint, and it’s a fiddly little thing, so he doesn’t want to tear his eyes away from it. 

“Good afternoon. How can I help you?” Changkyun greets monotonously. It’s a practiced saying, one that should be spoken with much more enthusiasm than it is if he wants to encourage customers to keep coming back to him, but Changkyun just doesn’t have the energy or focus in him to care about how he’s speaking right now - he has a task at hand. 

“Now, is that any way to greet your favourite customer?” teases a voice right in front of the counter where Changkyun is working - a voice Changkyun could recognise anywhere, despite only having heard it a few times before. 

Changkyun’s head snaps up and he rips his goggles off. “Governor? You’re back?”

“Minhyuk,” he corrects. Minhyuk’s wearing a dashing smile, and there isn’t a flaw on his perfect skin. Not even a smudge of grey on his cheek, as most people in their city wear nowadays. 

Changkyun feels inadequate as he looks at Minhyuk before him. Without even looking at himself in a mirror he knows he has grease marks on his face, because they’re all over his hands, and he can’t stop himself from rubbing at his face. He probably looks ridiculous, too, as he always does when he’s spent a prolonged period of time with his goggles on - the skin exposed to air gets dusted with the grey ash from the smoke everywhere around them, and the small patches around his eyes remain clean and untouched, as if he’s still wearing his goggles. 

Changkyun ducks his head. “Sorry, Minhyuk. How can I help you?”

“I’m having a problem with my leg. Can you take a look?”

Changkyun nods. “Of course.” He exits from behind his counter and kneels down on the floor in front of Minhyuk. “May I?” he asks, fingers hovering over the hem of Minhyuk’s trousers. 

“Go ahead.”

It’s obvious which of his legs is made of skin and bone and which is made of metal by the tiny sliver that peeks out from below the ends of his trousers, so Changkyun pulls up the hem. “What’s the issue?” he asks as he examines Minhyuk’s leg. 

The metal extends well past his knee, and Changkyun has to wonder if this was a choice or if he had a bad accident, because most people only choose to have their new legs just past the knee, not so high up. He doesn’t dare to ask, though, because it’s not his business. 

“My knee feels stiff when I move it.” Minhyuk moves his knee to demonstrate, and it creaks, and something jiggles around in it. If Changkyun were to guess, there’s a loose screw that’s stuck somewhere and it also needs some oil. Not too hard of a job. 

Changkyun looks up at Minhyuk to tell him his idea, and finds that Minhyuk’s looking down at him and— Is he smirking?

Changkyun suddenly notes the position he’s in and looks down to avoid Minhyuk seeing the blush that he knows is now on his cheeks - he can feel them burning. 

He stands, and says, “I think it’s a loose screw on the inside. I can take a look now for you, if you’d like?”

“Can you? That’d be great. It’s getting annoying to walk around like this.”

“Come through,” Changkyun says. He leads Minhyuk through to his workshop out the back where he usually does all of his jobs. He’d only picked to sit at the counter today for the hand he’d been working on to have a change of scenery. He was getting a bit sick of the white walls of his workshop. 

Minhyuk sits on the chair opposite Changkyun’s workbench and unhooks the straps to pull his metal leg off. He hands it to Changkyun who lays it down on his workbench, being sure to be gentle with it. 

Changkyun sits down at his bench and pulls his goggles back down. He jiggles the leg around and hears that same rattling, so it must be a screw that’s somehow got stuck inside, just as he thought. 

“Is it easy, doing the job you do?” Minhyuk asks as Changkyun works. 

Changkyun starts to unscrew the leg at the knee as that seems to be where the problem is. He’ll have to take it apart, remove that loose screw and then put it back together after. “It can be. I guess most of the time it isn’t really hard, but it takes forever to make things perfect.”

“Do you enjoy it?”

“Of course, but sometimes it gets tiring, doing the same things over and over again,” Changkyun answers honestly. He finds that it’s easy to talk to Minhyuk, much easier than he expected it to be, considering he’s the governor. “What about you? Do you enjoy your job?”

“It has its ups and downs,” Minhyuk says. “Being recognised everywhere I go isn’t my favourite thing in the world, especially when people seem to be afraid of me, or don’t seem to remember that I’m also just another person, but it comes with the job, doesn’t it?”

Changkyun hums. He can’t exactly understand where Minhyuk’s coming from - he’s about as unknown as you can get - but he can’t imagine that it’s easy. “It must be tiring, right? A lot to do?”

“So much to do,” Minhyuk complains. “I finish one thing and find out there’s three new tasks waiting for me. It’s never ending.”

Changkyun smiles. “Work never stops, does it?”

“It doesn’t.”

Changkyun finally had the leg apart, and a small screw falls out onto the workbench just as he’d expected. He holds it up so Minhyuk can see. “This was your issue.”

“That tiny thing?”

“Sometimes the tiniest things can be the deadliest,” Changkyun says with a raise of his eyebrows. “I just need to put this back together, oil the joint and then you can have your leg back.”

Minhyuk smiles. “You’re a lifesaver, you know that?”

Changkyun doesn’t think so, but he appreciates the strong compliment. He quickly puts Minhyuk’s leg back together, then hands it over to him so Minhyuk can slot it back on and walk again. 

He tests it out, and his leg doesn’t rattle or he seems to have a much easier time moving it than he did when he came in. “What would I do without you?” Minhyuk asks with a grin. 

“Suffer with an annoyingly stiff knee forever?” Changkyun suggests. 

“Probably,” Minhyuk agrees. “How much is it?”

“I can just send the bill over to your people,” Changkyun offers. “It’s not expensive, though.”

“My people, huh?”

Changkyun nods, seriously. “You’re the governor. You have people.”

Minhyuk laughs and shakes his head. “I like you, Changkyun. You’re interesting.” Then, Minhyuk is turning away with a wave. “See you soon.”

Changkyun doesn’t even manage to get out a reply before Minhyuk is gone, as if he were never there in the first place. 

And Changkyun finds himself smiling and singing to himself for the rest of the day as he works on his other repairs, his mood lifted from Minhyuk’s visit. 

* * *

“How many times have you been here now?”

Minhyuk smiles. “Many. I’m clumsy, what can I say?”

Changkyun stares at him with a raised brow. He can’t prove it, obviously, but he’s starting to get the feeling that maybe Minhyuk’s starting to break things on purpose, just so that he has an excuse to come and visit Changkyun. 

Now, Changkyun doesn’t want to give himself too much hope, but he can’t really find another reason as to why Minhyuk would be coming here so often, if it’s not to see Changkyun. There’s more than enough repair shops dotted around, and while Changkyun’s good at his job, he’s aware that his shop and the government offices are on the opposite sides of the city - it’s a significant distance for Minhyuk to keep coming for mostly minor issues. 

Changkyun doesn’t dare to ask if this is the case, though, because he’s afraid to interrupt the dynamic that’s formed between them. And, it’s showing vulnerability. Too much vulnerability. 

“Does the parliament not mind basically funding my business themselves?” Changkyun asks instead. 

“The governor has to have working limbs,” Minhyuk replies simply. 

Changkyun nods, because he doesn’t know how else to react to that, and gets back to work on fixing Minhyuk’s hand once again. It’s a quick fix - he has to reattach a finger that fell off - but he finds himself taking his time with it, working slowly, to increase how long Minhyuk has to be here. 

“You know,” Minhyuk says suddenly, “there’s an event coming up. A new factory is opening on the north side of town, and I’ve been asked to attend the party they’re throwing.”

“Is there?”

“Yeah,” Minhyuk says. “I can bring a plus one.”

“Who are you taking?” Changkyun asks, his eyes still focused on the unattached finger on his workbench that just doesn’t seem to want to reattach to the hand it’s supposed to be a part of. 

“Well, there’s this cute repair worker that I’ve been meaning to ask out,” Minhyuk says quietly. “Maybe he’d like to come with me.”

“I’m sure he would,” Changkyun says dismissively. Then, the words finally process in his brain. He drops the hand and finger and looks up at Minhyuk. He blinks once. Twice. “Are you talking about me?”

Minhyuk smiles, amused, and says, “Yes, silly. Who else would it be?”

Changkyun knows his heart can’t beat out of his chest, but it sure is doing a good job of attempting to do so. “Really?” He can’t quite believe this is happening. 

“Really,” Minhyuk says earnestly. 

“But— That’s so public,” Changkyun murmurs. 

“Then, something more private?” Minhyuk offers, his voice filled with hope. 

Part of Changkyun wants to protest. Minhyuk is the governor, he’s a simple repairsman. They live in two different worlds, yet here Minhyuk is offering a date (Is it a date?) to him. People would have things to say about that - and none of them good. 

Yet, Changkyun’s heart whispers to him that the only option is to say yes. He shouldn’t turn down something he wants  _ so _ bad because of other people’s judgement. 

So, Changkyun follows his heart. “Something private, yes.”

“It’s a date, then,” Minhyuk says, and the smile on his face could rival the sunshine. 

Changkyun looks back to the hand on his desk to hide his own smile. 

No more words are shared between the two of them as Changkyun finishes off fixing Minhyuk’s hand, but shy smiles and quick glances are shared instead. 

And when Minhyuk’s hand is fixed and secured back on his body, he leans in to press a feather-light kiss to Changkyun’s cheek, and whispers in his ear, “Sunday?”

Changkyun can only manage a nod, no words come to him, and Minhyuk smiles at him and then he’s gone. 

Changkyun stands there and stares at the door that Minhyuk left out of for a few minutes, before he finally brings himself back to reality. He still has work to do, but how is he meant to do any of it when all he can think about is his date with Minhyuk at the end of the week?

* * *

Sunday comes, and Changkyun couldn’t feel more nervous and jittery than he already does. He’s dressed up in his fanciest outfit - an old suit which is looking worse for wear and doesn’t quite fit him properly anymore, but it’s the best he’s got - which isn’t all that fancy. 

He stands outside his shop, the broken Im’s Repairs sign looming above him. Minhyuk hadn’t informed Changkyun with any further details about the date in person, but two days ago, on Friday, a letter had arrived at his door. It simply read:

_ Sunday, 6pm. Wait outside. Can’t wait to see you. _

There was no signature, but Changkyun didn’t need one. It was obvious who it had come from. 

So, now here he is, anxiously waiting for Minhyuk’s arrival for their date. 

He has no idea what to expect, really. He’s never been on a date before, and especially not with someone as well known as Minhyuk. But, Minhyuk had promised private, and so Changkyun at least knows it’ll just be the two of them, with no watchful, judgemental eyes to worry about. 

Changkyun keeps glancing at the watch on his wrist. He’s still got another ten minutes to wait for Minyuk if he shows up on time, as Changkyun had got ready early in his anxiety and started waiting for Minhyuk much earlier than he needed to. 

People glance at him as they walk by, probably wondering why he’s standing outside a repairs shop that’s clearly closed at the moment - most people don’t work on Sundays - and Changkyun wonders if any of them can sense his anxiety. It’s probably written all over his face, honestly. He has no doubt about that. 

The seconds seem to tick by slowly, and every glance at his watch tells Changkyun he still has more time to wait, even though he desperately wishes for the clock face to read 6pm every time he looks. 

When it finally does read 6pm, Changkyun looks up and sees a man crossing the street towards him. He’s covered head to toe, including a pair of goggles, but the mop of blonde hair gives him away. 

Changkyun smiles as Minhyuk approaches. “Good evening, governor,” he greets, hooking his arm through Minhyuk’s when it’s offered to him. “What brings you to this part of the city?”

“Shh, I’m undercover today,” Minhyuk whispers. “Today I’m not the governor, I’m simply Minhyuk.”

“Well, Minhyuk, I’m glad to see you,” Changkyun admits. “I’m really looking forward to tonight.”

“I’d hope so - I do have the best date ever planned for you.”

“And what might that be?”

Minhyuk smirks. “That’s a secret.”

Changkyun rolls his eyes. Of course Minhyuk would arrange a date and keep the details a secret. Changkyun expects no less from him. 

“Well, I’ll keep my expectations high, then,” Changkyun says. 

As they walk through the streets, arms linked together, Changkyun finds himself observing the world around him with more attention than usual. 

Changkyun grew up in the workshop, learning how to fix and manipulate and reattach and create. His father taught him everything he knows now, and Changkyun started assisting him on jobs from a young age. When he passed away a few years ago, the shop was left to Changkyun, and he’s been working there ever since. 

And ever since, Changkyun hasn’t really had much of a break. He hasn’t felt the need for one. His routine is simple - wake up, get ready, go to work, come home, eat dinner, relax a little, go to bed and then repeat. He works every day of the week, because people need repairs no matter what day it might be. Closing on Sundays won’t stop last minute repairs from being necessary, and so Changkyun doesn’t close. Ever. (Sometimes his friends try to convince him that he doesn’t need to work every day of the week, but their protests are futile.)

It’s not too bad, really. It gives him something to do, after all. Besides, all of his friends are somehow even busier than Changkyun is, so they often can’t make plans. If one of them is free for a moment, they’ll briefly visit each other at work. 

If Changkyun thinks about it, he lives a rather lonely life. It’s never bothered him before, but walking through the city with Minhyuk at his side, Changkyun realises what he’s been missing. 

The smoke rises up from every building around them and blows across the sky, giving it a yellowed appearance. The factories either side of them that line the streets are loud with the crashing and creaking of machine use. 

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Minhyuk asks. 

“The city?”

“Yeah,” he confirms. “Something about the rising smoke brings me comfort.”

Changkyun can’t say he quite agrees, but he doesn’t broadcast this. “I don’t really ever stop and take a look at it. Too busy.”

“Yet you managed to take some time out of your busy day for little old me?”

“Can anyone deny what the governor wants?” Changkyun replies cheekily. 

Minhyuk shoves him lightly. “Come on. You don’t really think that, do you?” There’s anxiety in his voice now - uncharacteristic of him. Minhyuk is usually the epitome of confidence. 

“Of course I don’t,” Changkyun reassures. “To me, you’re Minhyuk first, Governor second.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Changkyun sees Minhyuk smile. “You sure do know the way to a man’s heart, don’t you?”

“It’s my second job. Stealing men’s hearts only to break them right after.”

“Am I going to have a broken heart?” Minhyuk asks, teasing. 

“I hope not,” Changkyun says honestly. 

Their walk brings them to a large, but not overstated house on the other side of the city. “Welcome to my home,” Minhyuk says with a sweep of his arm towards the house. 

“This is where you brought me?” Changkyun asks. “I expected something flashy, like an expensive restaurant.”

Minhyuk smiles and shakes his head. “Maybe next time, but you said you wanted private and, well, there’s nothing more private than here.”

Changkyun smiles a small smile, thankful that Minhyuk has actually made the effort to think about what Changkyun wants and what will make him comfortable. 

Minhyuk unlocks the door and holds it open for Changkyun. “Would you like to come in.”

Changkyun bows exaggeratedly and says, “It would be my pleasure.”

Minhyuk grins and laughs as Changkyun enters then follows him inside. When the door clicks shut behind him, the reality of the situation hits Changkyun. He’s on a  _ date _ with the governor of all people. Jooheon would never believe him if he told him. 

“So, you got me in your house. Now what?”

Minhyuk holds out his hand, which Changkyun gladly takes, then says, “Follow me.”

He leads Changkyun through his home, barely giving Changkyun a moment to admire the grand interior, and when they reach the back of the house, Changkyun lets out a gasp of surprise. 

Out the back of the house is a sectioned off area with a dome of glass overhead. Changkyun’s sure that in the daytime it lets the sunlight through in all its glory. In the centre of the room is a tree made of metal, skilfully crafted to look almost exactly as a living tree would. In front of the tree sits a table and two chairs, with a rose sitting in the centre, similarly fashioned out of metal as the tree is. 

Minhyuk leads Changkyun to the table and pulls out the chair for him. 

Changkyun sits down with a bow of his head in thanks. “Your place is beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Minhyuk says. He picks up the rose from the table and holds it out to Changkyun. “This is for you. I had it hand crafted.”

Changkyun’s jaw drops. “You went through all this trouble for me?”

“Of course. I promised a perfect date, didn’t I?” Minhyuk says as he takes a seat on the other side of the table. 

“You did, but this is far more than I deserve.”

Minhyuk hushes him with a shake of his head. “None of that. You deserve only the best.”

Changkyun smiles and looks down at the rose in his hands to hide it. The metal is smooth, with no sharp edges that could cut a finger. When he looks closer, Changkyun noticed the minor details on it, such as the veins of the leaves. Whoever made this, put in a lot of effort and is incredibly skilled. “This rose is beautiful,” he says. 

“A beautiful rose for a beautiful man.”

"You flatter me too much," Changkyun says, feeling shy.

"I flatter you as much as one should," Minhyuk insists. "Now, let me go get our food." He disappears out of the room in a flash and he's gone for a few minutes.

While he's out of the room, Changkyun looks around and truly admires Minhyuk's home. It's beautiful, elegant, and definitely the home of a rich man. Changkyun knows this, of course. He knows that Minhyuk is rich - he's the governor, after all - but it's still strange to truly see the difference between him and Minhyuk. Where Minhyuk's house is beautiful, highly decorated, and intricate, Changkyun's is simple, plain and messy. He's not sure he should ever bring Minhyuk back to his home - but he's getting ahead of himself. He still has to get through the first date before thinking about anything else.

Minhyuk returns, two plates in hand. He lays one down in front of Changkyun and one in front of his own place, then takes his seat again. "Beef wellington," he says, gesturing to Changkyun's plate. "I made it myself."

Changkyun gawks at the food on his plate. It looks perfectly cooked and succulent and he can't wait to dig in and take a bite.

But first, Minhyuk pours them both a glass of wine each. "You drink wine, right?"

"Who doesn't?" Changkyun asks with a grin.

Minhyuk returns his smile and then says, "Enjoy."

Changkyun cuts straight down the centre of the dish and steam escapes when it's split in two. He admires the meat on the inside, cooked to perfection based on the looks of it, and has to stop his mouth from watering it looks that good. "This looks amazing," Changkyun compliments.

"Wait until you try it before giving a judgement," Minhyuk says, a shyness in his voice. "You might not like it yet."

Changkyun cuts off a small bite and moans happily the second it hits his tongue. "Oh my god, you're the best cook ever."

Minhyuk laughs. "Now who's being flattering?"

"No, really, please quit your job and be my personal chef for the rest of my life. I could live off this forever," Changkyun says, and he's only partially joking. He's tasted a lot of food from a lot of different people over his time, but this might be one of the best meals he's ever eaten, even better than meals he's had from professional chefs. After he takes another bite, Changkyun asks, "When did you learn to cook?"

"I grew up cooking," Minhyuk says. "My mother insisted that I learn from a young age, and I'm glad she did. It's always come in handy to be able to cook well over the years."

"Got many other dates to impress with your cooking skills?" Changkyun jokes, but his heart is beating loudly in his chest. He really hopes that Minhyuk says no, because he doesn't want to feel like he has to compete with strangers for Minhyuk's heart. He's already surprised enough that Minhyuk seems interested in him, a nobody repairsman. He's the governor, after all. He could have anyone he wanted.

"Would you be shocked if I said this was my first date ever?"

Changkyun gawks at Minhyuk, but there's no sign of a lie on his face. "Well, it's mine, too, and I can confirm that it's already the best date I've ever been on."

"Does this mean for our second date I have to compete only with myself?" Minhyuk's eyes widen a fraction and he says, "I'm not making assumptions, am I? It's not too early to ask for a second date, is it?"

"Of course not. You can even ask for a third, if you want."

Minhyuk smiles at him, wide and showing off all his pearly white teeth. "You're something special, Kyunnie. I hope you know that."

Changkyun shovels more beef wellington into his mouth to avoid saying something embarrassing.

As the two of them finish off the rest of the meal, no more words are exchanged, but many secret, shy glances and smiles are instead, and that's more than enough for Changkyun. He suddenly feels like a teenager again, inexperienced (which he still is, but that's besides the point) and shy, wondering how to proceed.

Minhyuk takes the lead, though. He waits for Changkyun to finish off his glass of wine, and then stands, bows and holds out a hand, "Would you care for a dance, Sir?"

Changkyun looks around the room. "There's no music, though."

Minhyuk grins. "Oh, don't worry, I've got that covered." He snaps his fingers and a violinist enters the room. Changkyun has to wonder how long he's been waiting outside, whether he heard any of their conversation, but then his thoughts are cut off when the music starts playing, a soft and mellow tune.

"So?" Minhyuk prompts, still in his bowed position with his hand out.

Changkyun takes his hand and stands. "I'd love to dance with you, governor."

And so they dance, their bodies pressed together, their feet moving naturally around the room to the music as it plays. Changkyun tries not to think as they dance, he simply allows himself to feel, to go with the flow and experience everything as it comes.

Minhyuk is good at leading a dance, it turns out, and Changkyun allows him to. He lets Minhyuk move them around the room, twirl Changkyun this way and that as he pleases, and Changkyun can't stop giggling and smiling as they dance.

Together, they dance through song after song, never tiring or stopping, until eventually Changkyun's feet are aching and he has to ask Minhyuk to pause for a moment.

They keep their position pressed together, though, and Changkyun finds himself staring into Minhyuk's warm brown eyes. He opens his mouth as if to speak, but no words come out. There are no words he can even think of that would be right for this moment, nothing to express the way he's feeling.

So, instead, Changkyun expresses it the only other way he knows - by leaning forward and pressing his lips to Minhyuk's.

Minhyuk kisses back eagerly, one of his hands coming up to rest on the back of Changkyun's head, the other on his waist to keep him steady.

And as they kiss, Changkyun feels every emotion of Minhyuk pour through to his body. His happiness, his excitement, the slight undertone of nervousness that he's been doing so well to hide. Changkyun feels all of it.

And when they break apart, foreheads resting together, their breath mingling from how close they still are, a smile breaks out over Changkyun's face.

"I really like you a lot, Minhyuk," he admits. He's known it for a while, even though he's tried to deny it to himself, but now that he's finally had the chance to kiss Minhyuk, there's nothing that can stop him from being honest about his feelings anymore.

"I really like you, too," Minhyuk says, and he leans in and kisses Changkyun once again.

* * *

After their date, Minhyuk promises that he'll return to the shop soon to see Changkyun and arrange a follow up date.

So, on Monday, Changkyun sits eagerly waiting for Minhyuk's arrival. Every single time the bell chimes to announce a new customer he finds himself smiling, expecting to see Minhyuk, but each time it's not him.

Then, on Tuesday, the same thing happens.

On Wednesday, too. Thursday, Friday, Saturday.

And when it comes to Sunday, a week since their first date, Changkyun starts to lose all hope that Minhyuk is ever coming back.

He feels his heart break and shatter on the floor in front of him as he lets himself start to think about what could have been, and what is actually not. He'd really thought that the date had gone well, and that Minhyuk really liked him too, but maybe that wasn't the case. Maybe he was just being polite, trying to let Changkyun down gently.

But if so, why promise to come back to see him?

Changkyun sighs and hangs his head in his hands. He'll give Minhyuk until 6pm when he locks up and closes for the night, and if he hasn't shown by then, Changkyun really will give up on him.

The hours pass by slowly as the day goes on, and Changkyun finds himself glancing at the door during every free moment, hoping that if he looks at it hard enough and long enough then Minhyuk will come waltzing through.

The clock strikes 6pm and there's no sign of Minhyuk. Disappointed, Changkyun packs up everything for the evening and by 6:15pm he's out of the door with it locked behind him.

He takes one step out into the street and bumps into someone. Their hands come up to grab him and steady him.

Changkyun looks up to thank them, only to come face to face with Minhyuk. "You're here?" he asks, dumbfounded.

"I promised, didn't I?"

And Changkyun can't help but wrap his arms around Minhyuk and hug him tight, a few stray tears escaping from his eyes and soaking into Minhyuk's shirt.

"No, angel, don't cry," Minhyuk says and pulls Changkyun back to look at him. He searches all over Changkyun's face and body, probably looking for whether he's hurt or something and that's what's causing the tears, but he's going to find nothing. "What's wrong?"

Changkyun laughs wetly. "I thought you weren't ever going to come back," he admits quietly. "I told myself to give you until I locked up and then I'd give up on you."

Minhyuk frowns and rubs Changkyun's arms. "I'm so sorry. It got super busy with work and everything and I couldn't find any time to come and see you." He pauses. Then, "Please, don't give up on me just yet. I'll make it up to you."

And Changkyun could never deny Minhyuk of anything he asked, but especially not this. "I won't give up," he promises. "But I expect a really amazing second date."

Minhyuk pulls Changkyun back in for a hug, squeezing him tight. "I promise it'll be the best date you've ever had."

"I'll hold you to that."

* * *

The second date comes and goes, and it's just as perfect as Minhyuk had promised. Then, a third, and a fourth, and so many more that Changkyun loses count. But, counting the dates no longer matters, not when he's finally able to call Minhyuk his lover. There are times when Minhyuk is busy and he can't see Changkyun for a while, but Changkyun can hold onto the fact that Minhyuk's going to come back eventually. He loves Changkyun and Changkyun loves him and that's what he'll always remember.

More kisses are shared, some even under the roof of Im's Repairs (and Changkyun's sure his father wouldn't be happy with that) and more and more visits to Minhyuk's beautiful home occur.

Changkyun eventually brings Minhyuk back to his place, too, despite his worries, and Minhyuk says he loves it and they end up spending time there together.

Changkyun is happy, is what he realises, and Minhyuk is an important part of that happiness.

They might have their struggles, especially with their worlds being so far apart, but they figure things out - together.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading! kudos & comments are always very much appreciated!!!


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